Why Sewage Sludge Should Never Be Used as a Fertilizer

By Tracy Frisch

Sewage sludge (aka biosolids, a PR term invented by the wastewater treatment sector to make this waste product sound like a good thing) is often land applied as a fertilizer, even though it is highly contaminated with PFAS “forever chemicals,” pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and other toxic substances that don’t belong in farm fields, garden, athletic fields, and home landscapes. Sewage sludge-derived compost is also sold  in big box stores to unsuspecting consumers as a bagged soil amendment. 

No civilized society dumps toxic wastes on farmland.

Find out more with this terrific new podcast episode “PFAS, Sewage Sludge, and Poisoned Farms” with Laura Orlando, a civil engineer, and lead scientist at Just Zero. Laura superbly explains this issue. https://realorganicproject.org/laura-orlando-pfas-sewage-sludge-poisoned-farms/

We also recommend this mini documentary on sewage sludge in NYS from Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, https://youtu.be/YFU74bJdR1k (13 min).

“PFAS Levels in Sewage Sludge Put New York’s Dairy and Meat Industry at Risk” is new at https://sentientmedia.org/pfas-levels-in-sewage-sludge-put-new-yorks-dairy-and-meat-at-risk/

Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter’s 2023 report illuminates the issue.

An informal statewide coalition is advocating for a 5-year moratorium on the land application of sewage sludge. Coalition members include Environmental Advocates of New York (EA), Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, NYC Solid Waste Advisory Boards, Clean & Healthy, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY (NOFA-NY), and Clean Air Action Network of Glens Falls (CAAN). If your group is interested, contact Claire Walsh Winsler, cwalshwinsler@eany.org

Waste corporations can make tremendous profits turning sewage sludge into fertilizer. The sludge industry has tried to scare elected officials with lies about the cost to landfill sludge. To counter their scare tactics, we need to get the facts. That’s where you come in. 

Obtaining actual cost data for landfilling sludge can be as easy as sending an email to the treasurer of your village, town, or city. I discovered that a village of less than 2,000 near my rural home spends between $2 and $3 per capita annually to landfill its sewage sludge – hardly the road to financial ruin!

If you would like to help get cost data from your local wastewater treatment plant, email Claire at cwalshwinsler@eany.org for guidance. The info you gather will make a difference.

To find out more or share info about what’s going on in your community, I encourage you to contact me at tracy.frisch@gmail.com or 518-692-8242 landline.